1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to facilities for cleaning of individuals. Specifically, it pertains to facilities for cleaning or decontaminating of individuals who have been exposed to a dirty or contaminated environment. More particularly, it pertains to facilities for decontaminating workers who have been exposed to asbestos or other contaminates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, it has been discovered that individuals who occupy buildings, portions of which are constructed of asbestos material, are subject to health hazards caused by the asbestos. This is particularly true of institutional buildings. Recent laws have been passed requiring the removal of these asbestos materials from buildings, particularly public buildings, e.g. schools, etc. There are certain procedures for making sure that as asbestos is being stripped from a room, the material is collected without contaminating other areas. The workers are also protected by wearing proper suits, hoods and respirators. However, as a worker leaves the room being stripped, it is necessary to decontaminate the worker and his protective clothing so that he does not contaminate other areas.
Because of health hazards associated with asbestos particles, great care must be taken to protect personnel working in asbestos abatement and to avoid escape of fugitive particles from the work space. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other regulatory authorities and standard-setting agencies have developed detailed guidelines dealing with asbestos abatement.
Personnel working in asbestos abatement require a decontamination system in which they can change their garments and leave their tools. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,111 55/97.
Decontamination of an asbestos worker is normally done by having the worker pass through a three-compartment decontamination unit. The worker enters a first compartment (contaminated change area) which may be kept under partial vacuum where he removes his contaminated clothing. Then the worker passes through a second compartment where a shower is normally located for showering and washing off any asbestos materials from his body. Finally, the worker enters a third compartments (clean change area) where he may reclothe himself and exit in a decontaminated state.
The problem with most decontamination units of the type just described is that even though they attempt to be somewhat portable, they are relatively bulky, heavy and expensive. One such unit is manufactured by Evergreen Industries, Inc. of Golden, Colo. While such a unit is more portable and better than other solutions, it is still relatively heavy and expensive since the walls thereof are made of metal and are formed in at least a semi-permanent fashion. Since the decontamination units must be moved from one jobsite to another, these bulky compartments are not as portable as desired.
U.S. Patent No. 4,348,777 55/97 (Peterson) discloses a portable shower facility which is divided into three compartments similar to the facility manufactured by Evergreen Industries mentioned above. However, while the shower of Peterson is semi-portable, all three compartments are mounted as a single skid unit and must be moved together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,923 4/599 discloses a portable decontamination unit having two and preferably three bottom pan units and a multiplicity of parts which must be assembled and disassembled in order to move the unit from one location to another.
While such prior art devices provide improvement in the areas intended there still exists a great need for a portable disposable decontamination unit of a character which is simple in construction, efficient in use and economical in manufacture.
Accordingly, a principal desirable object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable portable decontamination unit having the foregoing characteristics.
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a portable decontamination unit which minimizes assembly components and maximizes ease of assembly.
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a portable decontamination unit which can be readily assembled to provide two or more adjacent enclosures.
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a portable decontamination unit which can be easily constructed in various sizes.
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a portable decontamination unit which can be easily adapted to various uses.
These and other desirable objects of the invention will in part appear hereinafter and will in part become apparent after consideration of the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings and the claims.